News

Retailers and government agencies are taking Panama’s annual shopping “Black Weekend,” the local version of “Black Friday,” to new levels this year.

The Tourism Authority of Panama is launching an international marketing campaign this month to promote the shopping extravaganza, which is scheduled for Sept. 14-16. The campaign will target Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, and Brazil, according to coverage in El Capital Financiero.

The Tourism Authority’s campaign will include ads on television, digital media and radio, the group says. The digitals ads will include a focus on Google and the travel portal, despegar.com. Copa Airlines, Air Panama, Wingo, and Avianca are also participating in the promotion, offering special packages include air, hotel rooms, and tours.

The international focus should bring new prestige to Black Weekend, which promotes shopping and raises Panama’s profile at a notoriously slow time of the year. Last year, more than 29,000 tourists participated in Black Weekend, which generated an economic impact of more than $90 million, the tourism authority reports.

“This year we will start the campaign progressively according to the packages launched by the airlines in each of these markets and that way we will be moving abroad,” tourism authority marketing director Enrique Sánchez told the paper.

Black Weekend will focus on 10 shopping centers that are part of the Panamanian Association of Shopping Centers, which will offer discounts of up to 70 percent on a wide variety of products.